NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Nonprofit organizations in Northern Michigan will receive nearly $70,000 in funding from the Great Lakes Energy People Fund.

Great Lakes Energy members support the People Fund by agreeing to have their bill rounded up to the nearest whole dollar amount. That extra change is then pooled with contributions from other People Fund participants and returned to the community through grants to nonprofit, charitable organizations that provide humanitarian, educational or community development services.

The north region board awarded 21 grants totaling $69,543 in the first grant cycle of 2024. Great Lakes Energy’s northern service district includes Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Montmorency, Otsego and Oscoda counties.

• Advance Board of Commerce, Boyne City: $1,000 for a laptop and copy/printer/fax/scanner.

• Beaver Island Historical Society, Beaver Island: $5,000 for Maritime Preservation: Saving a Great Lakes Fish Tug at the Beaver Island Marine Museum.

• Blue Lake Township Fire Department, Kalkaska: $5,000 for sirens, radios, and lights for an off-road snowmobile and side-by-side rescue vehicle.

• Boyne Arts Collective, Boyne City: $1,000 for a tent and assets for the Stroll the Streets Community Art events.

• Boyne City Preschool, Boyne City: $2,500 for gutters, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.

• Boyne Soccer Club, Boyne City: $2,332 for a storage shed.

• Challenge Mountain, Boyne City: $5,000 for an enclosed utility trailer for adaptive biking.

• Charlevoix Area Community Pool, Charlevoix: $1,500 for an automated pool chemical mixing system.

• Crawford Ausable Day Care Inc., Grayling: $2,061 for an infant and toddler room.

• Forest Home Township - Friends of Glacial Hills, Bellaire: $5,000 for Friends of Glacial Hills (NMMBA) Vandermark Road trailhead parking expansion.

• Gaylord Last Resort, Gaylord: $5,000 for an electrical upgrade.

• Grass River Natural Area, Inc., Bellaire: $1,800 for historical interpretive signage.

• Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, Harbor Springs: $2,500 for exhibit lighting for the restoration of the Ephraim Shay Hexagon House and Innovation Museum.

• Manna Food Project, Harbor Springs: $2,500 to update business management technology.

• Mount Carmel Centre, Inc., Gaylord: $5,000 for exterior metal trim paint project.

• Otsego County United Way, Gaylord: $2,600 for the final phase of the OCUW Community Service Building Renovation.

• Pigeon River Country Association Discovery Center, Vanderbilt: $2,000 for a projector, screen, signage and other assets to expand/enhance education for elementary and middle school youth.

• Raven Hill Discovery Center, East Jordan: $1,950 artifacts and supplies for the Innovations Across the Ages Evolving Technology expansion project.

• Veterans Education, Training & Support, Inc., Gaylord: $7,000 for The Landing Zone HVAC project.

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1518, Gaylord: $5,000 for specialized dome playground equipment for Phase I of a playscape in Veterans Community Park, contingent on raising the rest of the funding.

• Wagbo Peace Center: $3,800 for a new door and window in the fiber arts and culture classroom.

The Great Lakes Energy People Fund is accepting applications from local nonprofit organizations for the final 2024 grant cycle. The deadline for letters of intent is Oct. 1 with grant applications due by Oct. 15.

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Great Lakes Energy fund to benefit local nonprofits